Trump beats other world leaders in Covid-19 recovery

Nearly four million people around the world have been infected by the deadly coronavirus, according to Worldometer. Of them, more than one million people died and 2.7 million people recovered so far from the virus.

But the road back to full health is not the same for everyone. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the median time from onset to clinical recovery for mild cases is approximately 2 weeks and is 3-6 weeks for patients with severe or critical disease.

The latest addition to the list of world leaders who got infected with Covid-19 is US President Donald Trump. From Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the cases have varied in health, the time they took to come back to office and political effects.

Below is a list of the top leaders who tested positive for Covid-19-

President Donald Trump, United States

Donald Trump, 74, calls the coronavirus the Chinese virus, a 'hoax' and tries his best to undermine the seriousness. Then last Friday midnight, he tweeted that he had tested positive for Covid-19 with his wife, Melania Trump. A month before the US presidential race, the news arrived.

Trump was taken to Walter Reed hospital "out of an abundance of caution" with "mild symptoms" and would be there for the "next few days", the White House said.

Trump returned to the Oval Office on Wednesday, officials said, less than a week after testing positive.

The president has had no Covid-19 symptoms for more than 24 hours and has been fever-free for more than four days, his doctor, Sean Conley, said. "His physical exam and vital signs, including oxygen saturation and respiratory rate, all remain stable and in normal range," a health report from Dr Conley said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, United Kingdom

It is claimed that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, was the first major world leader to test positive for Covid-19. In a video on Twitter on March 27, Johnson revealed that he had contracted the virus, just over a week after his government abandoned its herd immunity response to the pandemic.

Johnson almost died of Covid-19 despite not being at a high risk of coronavirus complications. He was hospitalised for a week after having minor symptoms at first, and spent three days in intensive care. Later, Johnson added, it "could have gone either way."

He is believed to had contracted the virus from a hospital visit where he shook hands with Covid-19 patients.

President Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, 65, tested positive for Covid-19 in early July. He wasted months ignoring the severity of the coronavirus pandemic. The president, who had likened the virus to a "little flu" and had carried out massive political protests against public health recommendations, declared that after displaying slight symptoms, he was taking hydroxychloroquine, which health authorities have cautioned is not a safe Covid-19 remedy.

"For those who root against hydroxychloroquine, but don't present alternatives, I regret to inform you that I'm very well with its use and, with God's grace, I will live for a long time still," Bolsonaro said.

When announcing his test results to the press, Bolsonaro took off his mask to show that he was doing "perfectly well".

Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, Kosovo

In a Facebook post on August 2, Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said that he had contracted the coronavirus and that he would be self-isolated for two weeks. Hoti, 44, said that he had "no symptoms, except for a very mild cough."

The unexpected shock came just two months into the tenure of Hoti. He was well enough in early September to visit Washington to meet Trump.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, 45, declared on June 1 that he and his family had contracted the coronavirus. Pashinyan said in a Facebook Live video that he was not yet experiencing symptoms and assumed he was infected by a gloveless waiter who delivered him a glass of water during a meeting. 

President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Belarus

In July, the 66-year-old Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko claimed that he had experienced an asymptomatic coronavirus case.

"The most surprising thing is that today you are seeing a person who managed to power through coronavirus standing on his feet," Lukashenko said after he recovered, according to the state-owned news agency Belta.

Lukashenko, previously dismissed the threat of Covid-19 as a "psychosis" and suggested that drinking vodka and regular visits to the sauna would keep citizens healthy.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Russia

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, 54, isolated himself in the hospital at the end of April after testing positive for Covid-19. The prime minister, who took office in January, temporarily stepped back from his duties until he recovered.

President Juan Orlando Hernández, Honduras

Back in June, Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, 51, tested positive for Covid-19 with his wife. Despite being hospitalised and treated for pneumonia, the president announced that he would continue to carry out his duties remotely. "I feel enough strength and energy to continue forward and beat this pandemic," Hernández said in a televised statement.

President Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala

Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, 64, tested positive for Covid-19 on September 18. The president who has multiple sclerosis and uses crutches to walk, previously had said he was a patient at high risk.

Giammattei said he would keep himself "busy working from home" while presenting slight symptoms. The news came on the same day Guatemala reopened its borders and resumed international flights following a six-month lockdown.

President Pierre Nkurunziza, Burundi

On June 8, the government of Burundi announced that President Pierre Nkurunziza, 55, had died of a heart attack after a brief illness. But according to accounts from local news outlets and diplomats, he was the first head of state killed by Covid-19. Senior officials have denied the reports as rumours.

Nkurunziza downplayed the pandemic in the weeks before his death and allowed campaigning for the May 20 election to replace him with restricted social distances at rallies.